


terribly unfair

by unniebee



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Cat/Human Hybrids, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Sex Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-12 21:08:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4494765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unniebee/pseuds/unniebee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joonmyun brings home a new kitten. Tao is Not Impressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	terribly unfair

“WHAT IS THAT.”

Tao is on his feet, his hackles raised, putting the length of the couch between him and the two figures at the door. Joonmyun levels a very unimpressed look at him. “ _He_ is a kitten.”

Yes, that’s exactly the issue. “What is he doing _here_? You don’t need another kitten,” Tao huffs. “You have _me_.”

Joonmyun closes the door behind him, toeing off his shoes while the newcomer tries to sidle behind him, face carefully expressionless but eyes wide and cocoa-brown tail puffy around the edges. “First of all,” Joonmyun says, “you aren’t a kitten anymore. Secondly, he’s as much for your benefit as he is for mine. Don’t think I haven’t seen you moping when I leave for work in the mornings.”

Tao scowls, his ears flattening. “It’s not like that.”

“You’re lonely, admit it.”

“For _you!_ ” Tao cries. “You are my _master,_ of _course_ I always want you to stay home with me. Having to _compete_ for your attention is not going to make that better.”

The new kitten drops his eyes, shrinking back a little against the wall at the vehemence in Tao’s tone. Good. He needs to know who’s boss here.

But Joonmyun sighs and rolls his eyes and _puts a hand on the kitten’s shoulder_ and now Tao’s tail is puffed too. “Well, you have a few days to get used to the idea,” he says. “The vet said I have to keep you two apart for a while. Sehun here picked up a bug at the shelter.” He reaches up and runs a hand over the kitten’s ears; Sehun-the-intruder tilts into it, pushing his head against Joonmyun’s hand in a way that looks distinctly desperate in Tao’s eyes. The kitten is far enough out from behind Joonmyun that Tao can get a good look at him, and sure enough his eyes are watery and his nose is reddened and runny. He’s definitely sick.

“He’s not staying in my room,” Tao says stubbornly.

“No,” Joonmyun agrees. “He’s staying in mine.” As Tao gapes, Joonmyun loops his fingers around the kitten’s thin wrist and tugs him forward.

Tao wants to climb up onto the back of the couch, just to put as much distance as possible between himself and Sehun, but he doesn’t, he holds his ground, head and tail held high and ears half-flattened to show his distaste. Sehun shuffles behind Joonmyun, his own ears pressed all the way down and his tail flicking unhappily behind him. Tao stares at him the entire way across the room, until they climb the stairs and disappear from sight.

Huffing, Tao flops back down to the couch, crosses his arms and pouts.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

When Joonmyun said Sehun would be staying in his room, Tao had assumed that meant Sehun would be spending the nights on the floor next to his bed, or something.

Not that Joonmyun would lock himself in his suite with Sehun for the _entire weekend_.

“He’s scared,” Joonmyun says the next morning, when Tao wraps himself around his master’s back as he is making brunch and whines about not getting to see him for twelve full hours _even though it’s Saturday_. “He’s never had a home before, never had a master. Don’t you remember what that was like?”

Tao _does_ remember, but he doesn’t have any sympathy. Joonmyun is _his_ master. He was here first. Sehun is a usurper and Tao hates him.

“You haven’t even met him yet and you’re deciding you hate him,” Joonmyun says, amused, and Tao pouts because Joonmyun is clearly not taking him seriously.

Joonmyun leaves Tao with a plate of cinnamon-chip pancakes and a ruffle of his ears before disappearing with the rest of the food upstairs and locking himself in the master suite. 

Tao knocks over the potted fern in retaliation. He never liked that thing anyway.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Other than mealtimes, Tao does not see his master again until he’s leaving for work on Monday morning. “Be good,” Joonmyun says, as he pulls on his work shoes and tugs at his tie. “I locked the door because I am serious about you two not touching until Sehun is better, but I know you’ll be tempted to terrorize him through the door. So play nice.” He pins Tao with a stern look that clearly communicates _or else_ and Tao sniffs and pretends he isn’t paying attention.

Then Joonmyun is gone, leaving them alone.

And because Tao is very, very _not at all_ interested in that master-hogging kitten, he spends the morning on the couch watching dramas and does _not_ have one ear perked towards the stairs, thank you. It’s total random chance that there is a few seconds of silence on screen while the main character stares longingly at the love interest and he hears a rattling sort of thunking noise from upstairs.

He frowns, because Sehun’s just a kitten and probably breaking something up there, or at least getting into something he shouldn’t. Tao remembers that stage, though he’s grown out of it now and knows not to knock things over just because he can or bat at round things just because they roll away. Joonmyun doesn’t like when things are broken or go missing or generally are not where they are supposed to be. He’s a very neat and organized sort of master.

So Tao makes his way silently up the stairs, poking his head around the corner to see what’s going on. The door to Joonmyun’s suite is rattling in its frame, and when Tao comes closer, he sees long, pale fingers wrapped around the bottom edge.

“Hey,” he says sharply, and instantly the rattling stops. “Cut that out. You’re making noise.”

Silence. The fingers don’t withdraw, so Tao pokes them with his bare toes, and instantly they’re gone. Almost as quickly, though, they return, moving slightly to the left.

Tao frowns and pokes them again. They disappear, then reappear again, and Tao thinks he hears a tiny little giggle.

He kicks the door, startling Sehun into withdrawing his hand completely. “I said stop,” he growls.

“...But I’m bored,” a small, soft voice murmurs from the other side.

Eyes narrowing, Tao drops into a crouch. He sees a few strands of silky chocolate brown hair laying against the carpet, so he lays all the way down, pressing his face to the floor so he can peer under the door. There’s enough space for him to see one half-flattened brown ear and one grey-blue eye peering curiously from underneath messy hair. He scoots a little closer, and now he can see a pale, soft cheek and the corner of a delicately pink mouth, as well.

Sehun blinks at him.

“Of course you’re bored,” Tao says snottily. “You’re under quarantine.”

“I feel better though,” Sehun tells him softly. Tao snorts, and the visible corner of Sehun’s mouth turns down. “I do. The medicine Master gave me helped a lot.”

“His name is Joonmyun,” Tao snarls. “You don’t get to call him _Master_. He’s _my_ Master.”

Sehun’s frown deepens into a pout. His lips are thin and it isn’t attractive at all. “He said I could though,” Sehun says stubbornly. “And you can’t tell me what I can call him, only he can.”

Instinctively, Tao reaches out a hand and whacks the door. He’s hoping to startle Sehun, but the reaction he gets is small and not nearly satisfying enough. Frustrated, he wraps his fingers under the door the same way Sehun was just doing.

Sehun whaps his hand, making Tao yank it back in surprise. 

This time, Sehun _definitely_ giggles. Tao scowls, and Sehun sneaks his fingers under and rattles the door again, and Tao gets the distinct impression he’s doing it just to be annoying now. So Tao whacks him, and then again when Sehun moves his hand, and it devolves into a slapfight, both of them batting at each other under the doorframe like a couple of idiot kittens.

When Tao _realizes_ he’s being an idiot kitten, he huffs and bounds to his feet and walks off without a word, going back to his dramas and steadfastly ignoring the occasional rattle of the door above him.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Wednesday evening, Joonmyun declares Sehun well and lets him out of the master suite. Sehun remains upstairs, though, which Tao is all for, because for the first time in five days he gets some quality master-snuggles while Joonmyun relaxes in front of some brainless variety shows on the couch. He smells like Sehun, which Tao cannot abide, so Tao makes a point of half-climbing into his lap and rubbing all over his face and arms and clothes.

Joonmyun laughs and shoves him away, but doesn’t protest when Tao curls up under his arm, cuddling into his side and purring violently. His fingers find that perfect spot behind Tao’s ears and before long Tao is half-asleep, his upset forgotten.

Then he hears a footstep on the stairs and his eyes slit open.

Sehun is crouched on the landing, looking down at them with curious eyes, ears perked and tail twitching. Tao scowls and wraps his arm possessively across Joonmyun’s stomach, but Sehun doesn’t really seem to notice. He’s taking in the whole room, the laughter and bright colors of the television, the soft movement of the curtains in the draft from the air vents.

“Sehun,” Joonmyun calls softly, his tone inviting. He holds out his other arm, gesturing for Sehun to join them. Tao hisses and gets whacked in the shoulder for his trouble. “Don’t mind him, he’s being a baby. C’mere.”

Hesitantly, Sehun obeys, his body language unsure. Tao continues to glare from his position against Joonmyun’s chest, letting Sehun know he is not welcome. But his warning is negated by Joonmyun’s coaxing, and Sehun settles against Joonmyun’s side, cuddled under his arm with his hand nervously clutching Joonmyun’s shirt.

Tao’s hand gets trapped between Joonmyun and Sehun, and he contemplates withdrawing it, because Sehun is _warm_. But that would be giving Sehun ground, so he stubbornly stays put, laying his claim on his master in the most obvious way possible.

They go back to watching TV, but Sehun’s presence is a black hole at the edge of Tao’s awareness, looming at the edge of his vision. Eventually Joonmyun’s fingers return to scratching, and Tao’s hackles smooth out, but he cannot manage to forget Sehun’s presence. For the entire night, he’s an itch at the back of Tao’s mind.

When Joonmyun finally heads to bed, Sehun follows him, and the door shuts behind them. Tao curls up on his own bed and definitely does _not_ keep himself up wondering why Joonmyun doesn’t cuddle _him_ to sleep anymore.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

For all of Thursday morning, Tao is painfully aware of the open door to the master suite, but Sehun does not show himself. The one time Tao gives in to his curiosity and peeks in on his way to the bathroom, all he sees is a mound of blankets on the bed that may or may not contain a kitten.

Tao is fixing himself a tuna sandwich for lunch when he hears the sounds of someone else moving. He keeps his back to the door, pretending to be uninterested as Sehun pads softly into the kitchen.

“What’s that?” Sehun asks softly.

“Lunch,” Tao tells him. “ _My_ lunch.” He resists the urge to add _you can’t have any_ because unlike _some_ cats in the room, he is not, in fact, an immature kitten.

Warmth against his back tells Tao that Sehun is too close. His tail lashes agitatedly, brushing against thin legs.

“It smells good,” Sehun says. “What is it?”

Tao is so surprised by this that he forgets his internal resolution to ignore Sehun as hard as possible. “It’s _tuna_ ,” he says, glancing back over his shoulder. Sehun is a few inches shorter than he, looking up with curious eyes. “How don’t you know what _tuna_ is?”

Sehun blinks. “We were only fed kitten-food at the shelter,” he says softly, and Tao’s heart does not jolt painfully. It _doesn’t_. And even if it does, it’s just because shelters like that - shelters that treat hybrids like animals before people - are the worst kinds of shelters.

“Tuna is amazing,” he says before he can think the better of it, and then cringes internally. Sure enough, it opens the proverbial door, and Sehun shuffles closer, his nose twitching. It’s not cute.

“Can I try?” he asks softly.

And Tao wants to say no, he _does_. It’s _his_ tuna, just like it’s _his_ house and _his_ master. But he is not unaware of how big of a dick move it would be to tell this kitten how amazing tuna is then refuse to share.

So he makes a noncommittal grunt and scoops a little bit out of the sandwich with his (freshly washed, thank you) fingers. Because forks are for humans.

He’d really been expecting Sehun to take it from his hand and pop it in his mouth, because what else would he do? He’s _not_ expecting Sehun to swoop his head down and take the morsel out of his fingers with his tongue. And he’s so _shocked_ that he freezes while Sehun makes a small, happy noise and licks his fingers clean.

Sehun’s tongue is warm.

It’s gross, really.

Bright gray eyes raise to his, crinkling a little at the edges like a smile though his mouth is too busy licking stray tuna juice off his lips. “It _is_ good,” Sehun says.

Tao shoves the sandwich into Sehun’s hands and leaves the room. He wasn’t really that hungry anyway.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Sehun makes himself scarce again for the rest of Thursday, and when Joonmyun comes home and finds that Sehun is still in the master suite, he scolds Tao for being hostile. Which is _totally_ not fair because Tao didn’t do _anything_ , Sehun _chose_ to be anti-social and hide himself away upstairs all day.

It’s about the same the next day, Friday, but when lunchtime rolls around this time Tao makes two tuna sandwiches, because he’s not about to let that little pest steal his lunch again. The sound of the can opening predictably brings the sound of soft footsteps on tile, and Tao doesn’t turn around, he just points at the little cafe table in the corner, where the first sandwich already sits on neatly on a plate, half an apple sliced next to it and a small glass of milk on the table as well.

“Thank you,” Sehun says, very shyly. Tao grunts his acknowledgement without turning around. “I don’t know how to cook,” Sehun admits. “The shelter didn’t have a kitchen.”

Of course not. Kitten-food is not unlike oatmeal or rice porridge and does not require much in the way of preparation. Most of the time, it’s just microwaved. “Well, you’ll have to learn,” Tao says. “Master is gone for most of the day.” He takes a big bite out of his own sandwich, still not turning because he doesn’t need to grace this kitten with his gaze, and starts the dishes while still chewing, just to keep his hands busy.

“Will you...will you teach me things?”

The question is asked so softly, so shyly. Tao can’t help it, he glances up. Sehun’s not looking at him, eyes downcast, but his ears are perked very obviously in Tao’s direction.

“We’ll see,” Tao says finally.

They eat the rest of the meal in silence. Tao never goes to sit; he just takes bites in between washing up, both the dishes he’s just dirtied and the few left over from when Joonmyun cooked the night before. His master is well-paid enough that Tao doesn’t have to work, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t pull his weight at home.

Sehun approaches hesitantly, setting his plate and glass on the counter. Tao rinses them without a word and starts the dishwasher, and Sehun doesn’t move away, watching him work curiously. He’s still silent, and Tao almost wishes he wasn’t. Somehow, the silence is louder than if Sehun was asking the million questions he must have.

Tao moves back out into the living room. Normally, after lunch he goes out into the yard and works out, running through drills or katas, practicing for his Tuesday wushu class, but with Sehun following him around he’s suddenly self-conscious and doesn’t want to do anything so showy. Instead, he goes out to the couch and plops down, picking up his book and hoping Sehun will get the hint. 

He doesn’t. He sits down, right next to Tao, and peers over his shoulder.

Tao glares, his fur standing on end at the proximity. “What?” he snaps.

Sehun pulls back a little, eyes widening. “Sorry, just…” He bites his lip. “I’m bored, upstairs by myself. Can’t I just...be here?”

Tao scowls. “Don’t read over my shoulder,” he says. 

“I won’t,” Sehun assures him. “I...they didn’t teach us.”

Of course they didn’t. Idiot kitten. “Fine,” Tao grumbles. “Don’t get too touchy.”

The warning is in vain. Within an hour, Sehun has slumped against his side, fast asleep.

Tao lets him stay there, but only because he’s comfortable and doesn’t want to move.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The weekend is a little awkward, mostly because Joonmyun seems utterly determined to involve both Tao and Sehun in everything. He takes them out to eat - ignoring the stares and whispers, because hybrids are still not commonplace and having two is almost unheard of, and because so many humans (mostly the ones that don’t own hybrids) think that they’re basically just sex slaves. He takes them to the park and laughs when Sehun takes off after a bird like the idiot kitten he is. He takes them to a museum, and Sehun shyly asks Tao to read the plaques to him, and Tao rolls his eyes but he does it anyway because how is this idiot kitten ever going to learn if no one takes the time to try and teach him?

(Joonmyun smiles like a rainbow after a storm and thanks him for being patient. Tao scowls and shrugs because it’s whatever.)

And the next week, Tao can’t get the kid to leave him alone.

He’s everywhere. From the moment he stumbles out of bed in the mornings, hours later than Tao because kittens sleep like crazy, he latches onto Tao’s side and does not leave. He’s there while Tao makes lunch, he’s near when Tao practices katas, he snuggles up to Tao’s side and begs for Tao to read to him. He never goes away and it’s starting to make Tao a little bit nuts.

He’s also _growing_ , and yeah, of course kittens grow fast, that’s one thing they get from their animal counterparts, but Tao wonders if maybe Sehun’s growth wasn’t stunted by the drivel he was being fed at the shelter because it’s been barely two weeks and there’s already a visible difference in his height.

Into the third week of Sehun living with them, Tao starts to notice that Sehun has a lot more energy, as well. He’s not as afraid to speak to Tao and asks those questions Tao could see burning in his mind before. He spends more time outside, messing around in the grass or sometimes half-trying to imitate Tao’s katas. His new height seems to mostly have gone to his legs and watching him try and keep his gangly limbs under control is really rather entertaining.

After a month, Tao finds he’s finally getting used to Sehun. He automatically makes lunch for two now, and not always tuna either; he’s started correcting Sehun’s form when he imitates the wushu movements and they’ve graduated from just Tao reading aloud to Sehun sounding out words, slowly and haltingly. And in the evenings, when Joonmyun is relaxing on the couch, he gets a hybrid under each arm and Tao no longer feels like he has to guard his master from the usurping kitten.

Sehun’s been living with them for about six weeks when Tao notices, really _notices_ , how beautiful he is.

It’s when they’re out in the yard after lunch, and for once Tao’s the one watching while Sehun shows off, some cute little dance routine he’s picked up from some idol group on TV. He seems like he’s finally gotten his long limbs under control, like his new height - he’s as tall as Tao now, and they both tower significantly over their master - finally doesn’t slow him down. He’s still thin, but there’s a sleekness to him now that wasn’t there six weeks ago, a leanness in his limbs as his baby fat melts away. His face is a little more mature, too, concentration written across it as he moves, too-long and slightly sweaty brown hair falling into his eyes.

Tao catches himself watching the younger’s pretty little ass sway as he moves, and abruptly realizes his breath and pulse are elevated, that his skin feels flush and his cock heavier than it should be. He jerks his eyes away and retreats into the house, getting away from Sehun because he needs to _think_.

As soon as he’s away, he realizes he’s in trouble, because he’s still seeing Sehun’s sleek body moving in his mind, still feels his heart pounding. His skin feels tight and his hands are clenching at his sides against the instinct to touch, to _grab_. And he’s been through this twice before now, so by this point, he’s well aware of what’s going on.

It isn’t about Sehun. It’s totally all Tao. He’s about to go into heat.

“Tao?” Sehun asks softly, sounding concerned and maybe a little hurt. His voice sends a jolt right to Tao’s cock and Tao takes a very, very deep breath. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Tao says, because he _is_. He _won’t_ be in about four hours or so but by then Joonmyun will be home to help him. He can make it. “Sorry. I just feel a little...funny.”

Warm hands land on Tao’s shoulders and slide down, a by-now-familiar touch that makes Tao’s pulse skyrocket. “Are you sure?” Sehun asks, and he sounds so _worried_. It would be cute, if Tao wasn’t using every brain cell he has to keep from bending him over the kitchen counter. “You smell...strange.”

And then he buries his face in Tao’s neck and _breathes in deep_ and Tao doesn’t think, he just _flees_ , racing upstairs and locking himself in his room.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

By the time Joonmyun gets home, Sehun is actively _yowling_ outside his door, terrified that something is wrong or Tao is hurt or Sehun did something to offend him or a million other things, and no matter how many times Tao reassures him that he is _fine_ he just needs to _be alone for a while_ Sehun is inconsolable. It’s _not_ helping Tao’s heat, which is getting thicker under his skin with each passing minute, because some of the whining noises Sehun is making can be too easily taken out of context and Tao’s so sensitive that he can _smell_ the other cat, even through the door.

Joonmyun finds them like this and unlocks the door with his master key. Tao can see that he’s ready to scold him, to yell at him for upsetting Sehun, but he takes one look at Tao and immediately all anger drops off his face. He slams the door shut behind him, locking Sehun out without a word, and starts stripping off his tie and jacket even as he’s moving towards the bed.

“Fuck, Tao, isn’t this kind of early?” he murmurs as Tao reaches for him. “I thought you weren’t due for a week or two yet. I was planning to give Sehun a talk about this.”

“Sorry,” Tao gasps. Joonmyun’s hands on his overheated skin are blessed, blessed relief. He arches into his master’s touch, desperate for the burning to end. “I don’t know why - it hit me so _fast_ this time - ”

“Damn,” Joonmyun mutters. He presses his lips to Tao’s forehead, blatantly attempting to soothe; it helps a little but Tao’s so hard he wants to _cry_ , so there’s only so much a single kiss is going to do. “Well, you’re not completely grown yet either, I guess. They did say it would take a few years for the cycle to even out.”

Tao doesn’t answer. He’s too busy scrabbling at Joonmyun’s belt, tearing at his shirt, whining helplessly under his breath. Honestly, he _hates_ being in heat, hates losing control over himself and hates what it turns him into. At least Joonmyun is a good master, the kind who only tries to touch him like this when Tao obviously needs it, never asks for anything in return. Not that he would want Tao in that way, anyway; Joonmyun’s boyfriend Yixing is extremely understanding of these types of things but Tao is all too aware that he is not Joonmyun’s type.

Still, when he’s in heat his body doesn’t care, and at least Tao can trust Joonmyun, and _does_ trust him, with his life, with his _everything_. 

It takes moments to get them both stripped down, and Tao presses every inch of himself that he can to Joonmyun’s cool skin, sobbing in relief as Joonmyun mouths down his neck and reaches for the bottle of lube they keep in here for just this sort of occasion. All it takes is his master’s mouth around his cock before Tao comes the first time, and Joonmyun has enough experience with this that he only swallows it and keeps going. They both know it will be hours, and at least six more orgasms, before Tao’s body has calmed enough to let him sleep.

The second orgasm is pulled from Joonmyun’s mouth, as well, this time with his fingers pressed inside Tao’s hole, and right about then is when the delirium starts. Tao starts losing moments, then stretches of seconds; he’s vaguely aware of nonsense words spewing from his lips, of incoherent begging and some things that aren’t really sex talk at all.

He doesn’t remember Joonmyun pushing inside him, but he vaguely remembers screaming, and when he opens his eyes Joonmyun is rutting into him with singleminded purpose. Joonmyun is reaching down to clamp his fingers around his own base, denying his own pleasure so that he can last as long as possible and give Tao everything he has and then some, and Tao loves him, he just really really really _loves_ Joonmyun, he’s the best master in the history of masters and fuck more _please please more_ -

Tao barely feels the third orgasm, but one stray spurt hits him across the chin, and Joonmyun groans helplessly and pulls on Tao’s shoulder until he flips over. He drives back into Tao’s body, not bothering to be gentle, and Tao sobs into the pillow and squirms desperately under him. There’s a part of him, the very snotty and dominant part of him, that resents being shoved into the mattress like this, but the rest of his body is too torn between need and ecstasy to give a crap about the indignance of it.

Joonmyun yanks his hips up, and the angle is just right, and within minutes Tao is coming again, yowling into the pillow and ripping the sheets apart with his nails. Joonmyun leans down against his back, pressing kisses to his spine.

“How is it?” he asks, breathless with exertion. “One more?”

Flushing with shame as well as need, Tao nods. “Please,” he murmurs, hiding his face in the pillow. He _hates_ this. “Please please more.”

Joonmyun nods and pushes himself back up. He takes a moment to get more lube on them - these sheets are going to be ruined, it’s a good thing Tao changed them the moment he got in here tonight so the good ones are safely locked away - then starts up again with no warning, pistoning into Tao fast and hard. Tao’s moan is totally and utterly inhuman.

It’s also not alone. Sensitive hearing picks up another moan, not Joonmyun’s, from the other side of the door, and he’s so lost in the heat that it takes him a moment to figure out who’s voice that is.

Then he remembers. 

He gasps, sucking in a breath and holding it. The only sound now is the slap of skin on skin but the heat turns all of Tao’s senses up far beyond normal, and now that he is paying attention he can hear a soft beat that’s slightly off from the rhythm of Joonmyun’s hips, he can hear small gasps and tiny, stifled moans, and he can smell the arousal of another cat, so much different from Joonmyun’s scent.

Sehun is on the other side of the door, jerking off to the sounds of Tao getting fucked. Possibly jerking off _for the first time_. And the idea has Tao harder than he has ever been in his life and that is _fucked up_.

Something twisted inside him has him raising his voice a little. Makes his yowls a little more theatrical, more showy. Makes his words a little more coherent and a little more descriptive. _Master_ , he gasps. _Fuck me more. Please, Master, fuck me harder._ And it has an effect on Joonmyun, certainly, because Tao gets exactly what he asks for, but what sets his blood racing is the way each word draws increasingly more aroused moans from the other side of the door, the way he hears Sehun faintly whispering his name.

Joonmyun finally comes. His moan of relief sets Sehun off, and Tao can hear him gasping, hears his hand stilling. More than the feeling of Joonmyun filling him, the image of Sehun silently coming into his own hand sends Tao over the edge, and he doesn’t realize he’s gasped out the other cat’s name until it’s way too late.

Mortified, he tries to roll over, tries to apologize to his master because he knows that was very, very bad of him, and very _rude_ besides. But Joonmyun, collapsed now next to him in a horrible puddle of sweat and lube and come, is grinning at him like it’s the funniest thing he’s heard all day.

“See,” he murmurs breathlessly. “I knew you’d warm up to him.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Tao’s heat lasts four days. Fortunately, two of those are weekend days, so Joonmyun only has to call off work for two days this time. 

By the thirteenth orgasm Tao mostly just hates everything, hates Joonmyun, hates Sehun, hates being a cat and being in heat because his ass hurts and his dick hurts and his head hurts and his stomach hurts and no matter how good Joonmyun is to him, nothing can help the fact that being in heat when he is physically incapable of satisfying his misguided instinctual urge to get pregnant fucking _sucks_. It’s no longer sexy, it’s no longer fun, and Tao sobs pitifully through his fifteenth orgasm because he just wants it to be _over_.

His body calms enough to let him rest partway through the second day, and he’s so tired he basically cannot move. Joonmyun, who is an angel for putting up with this shit when he’s not even really that into Tao, sneaks out of his room while he is sleeping to try and get some rest of his own.

When Tao comes to himself, there is a body on the bed next to him, a familiarly unfamiliar body with a familiarly unfamiliar smell. He makes a soft noise and weakly prods at it, the most energy he has right now.

Sehun uncurls, rolling over to look Tao over with wide, concerned eyes. “You’re awake,” he whispers. “How do you feel?”

“Shitty,” Tao says bluntly. He doesn’t add _and horny_ but that’s true too, and now that his eyes are adjusting to the light, now that the fog of sleep is clearing, Tao really _sees_ Sehun. He really just can’t help but notice how perfectly flawless his skin is, how his more angular, more mature face makes his lips look soft and plush, how broad his shoulders have become and how freaking incredible he smells. Tao scoots closer unconsciously, and Sehun’s hand finds Tao’s hip, an equally unconscious touch.

“Joonmyun-master explained it to me a little,” Sehun says softly. “I’m sorry I was a brat. I didn’t know.”

“S’okay,” Tao mumbles, mostly incoherent. He leans tiredly into Sehun’s shoulder. “Wasn’t supposed to come for at least another week. It’s dumb like that.”

Sehun hums a little in commiseration. “Will that happen to me?”

“Undoubtedly.” Tao says it dryly, without thinking, but the moment the word leaves his lips the images creep into his brain. Sehun, breathless with need, squirming and panting and begging for someone to touch him. _Sehun_ naked and hard and out of his mind underneath their master. _Sehun_ sobbing and yowling his way through dozens of orgasms.

Shit.

Tao knows his hormones have spiked again, he can feel it. And he knows Sehun can smell it, because his gray eyes are widening in surprise, and unconsciously he’s leaning closer. His casual touch suddenly feels so good, _too_ good, better even than Joonmyun’s small, strong hands.

They’re so close, it takes only a bare movement for Sehun to bury his nose in Tao’s neck and breathe deep. He makes the smallest noise of approval and Tao gets so hard so fast that the rush of blood away from his brain makes him actively _dizzy_.

“Fuck,” Tao whines weakly. “Not again.”

Hands clenching absently into Tao’s skin, Sehun raises his head and looks at him, concerned. “Does it hurt?” he asks softly. “Is it very awful?”

His brain is too muddled to be teaching this innocent kitten the facts of life right now. “Only because it doesn’t stop,” Tao explains clumsily. “At first it’s wonderful. But it doesn’t _end_. I’m just so _tired_.” He loses his internal battle with control and burrows into Sehun’s body, the feel of the other cat’s smooth skin under his hands both cooling his heat and igniting it hotter. Sehun pulls him close without hesitation, sniffing around Tao’s hair and ears in a very unsubtle way. 

“Should I go get Joonmyun-master?” Sehun asks. His lips are right next to Tao’s ears and Tao can’t stop the entirely inappropriate moan that escapes his throat.

“Don’t,” Tao whispers. “He hasn’t slept in two days. I’ll just suffer alone for a little while.” His tail has started to twine around Sehun’s; he forces himself to pull it back and out of the way.

Sehun’s eyebrows have drawn together in the center of his pale face, making little furrows of skin on his forehead that Tao wants to lick. Actually, Tao kind of wants to lick _all_ of Sehun’s skin. It’s a problem. Tao closes his eyes and tries to imagine that it’s Joonmyun holding him, because Joonmyun is safe.

He can’t do it. Sehun’s too much bigger than Joonmyun, too much warmer, smells too much like _cat_. And to make matters worse, he shifts just a little, just enough that his long, sleek thigh is edging up between Tao’s, and just the tiniest _hint_ of pressure has Tao whining helplessly and rocking forward, mindlessly yanking Sehun towards him with a hand on his little kitten ass.

Sehun makes a small noise of surprise, but doesn’t pull away, and Tao gets half a dozen really good thrusts in against his clothed thigh before his brain catches up and he manages to stop himself. “Fuck, I’m sorry,” he gasps. It’s physically _painful_ to tear his throbbing length away from Sehun’s body, but somehow he manages, each heartbeat sending searing heat racing under his skin. “You...you should go.”

The kitten makes a distressed little noise. “I don’t want to,” he whines softly. “Can’t I help you?”

Fuck fuck _fuck_ Tao cannot handle these thoughts right now. “ _No_ ,” he says forcefully. “You’re a kitten. You haven’t even had your first heat yet. You’re not...just... _no_.” He plants his hand in Sehun’s chest - ignoring how much broader it is now than it was six weeks ago, how firm and warm - and shoves with all his might, knocking Sehun off the bed and onto the floor with a yowl of shock. He feels the sudden lack of skin-on-skin very acutely, but at least it’s a little easier to breathe.

Sehun’s fuzzy ears pop up from the floor, followed by a very annoyed face. Tao closes his eyes and ignores how very _handsome_ the other cat is with everything he has. 

“Get out,” he growls. “Get _out_.”

“Fine,” Sehun snaps back, clearly hurt. Soft footfalls fade away, and when he hears the door open and shut, Tao opens his eyes again and sighs in relief. The lack of cat-pheromones in the air makes his fiery need abate just the tiniest bit.

He stretches out his exhausted body and grabs the lube and a vibrator from his nightstand. He’s going to go as long as possible before screaming for his master’s help, because _one_ of them should get some rest.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It isn’t as simple as that, of course. Phantom images of Sehun’s face, his long body, his scent, flit through Tao’s mind almost immediately. He tries to push them away at first, but by the time he’s halfway through his eighteenth orgasm, Tao’s lost track of reality completely, and all he can see is the other cat fucking him into oblivion. He comes four - or is it six? - times just on that fantasy alone, and manages somehow to masturbate himself right to sleep at some point around sunrise of the third day.

When he wakens, Joonmyun is there with food and water and more lube, and Tao does manage to eat something, and chug down the water, before his hormones take him over again. Joonmyun sets back to work, and Tao loses still more time, and when he eventually comes back to himself, the heat is finally, _finally_ fading.

He sleeps for eighteen hours straight. When he finally wakes, he’s sore all over, disoriented, and _hungry_ , and he really really has to pee. He takes care of that last one first, stumbling awkwardly down the hall to the bathroom, and goes ahead and draws a long, hot bath while he’s at it, because the state of his skin is absolutely _horrifying_.

Tao’s well into his soak and in the midst of scrubbing his ears - there’s come dried in the fur, which, _how_ \- when the door creaks open and Sehun pads in. Tao automatically braces himself for the rush of hormones at the sight of the other cat, and breathes a sigh of relief when it doesn’t come. It’s really over.

(He ignores the fact that Sehun is still too grown-up looking for his peace of mind, and that even without the heat the thought of the younger bending him over and fucking him is an awfully nice one.)

Sehun has a cold glass of milk in his fingers, which he hands to Tao as he sinks gracefully to the plush bath mat. His downcast eyes tell Tao that Sehun means it as a peace offering, an apology, though Tao’s not really certain what he would have to apologize for. If anything, it should be Tao apologizing, for snapping at him, for calling his name multiple times while orgasming and for getting off to his image and the imaginary sound of his moans.

Of course, Tao doesn’t apologize, because Tao never apologizes. He rules this house and does not apologize for anything. But he does take the milk and drink it, and it tastes amazing after four days of barely being able to eat, and Sehun’s relieved smile sparkles.

“Is it over?” Sehun asks. Tao nods, setting the glass on the edge of the tub and sinking down to rinse the fur-shampoo from his ears. Feeling clean and warm and a whole lot more awake, Tao shakes out his hair and reclines gratefully against the porcelain.

“Yeah,” he says. “It’ll be months before it comes again.”

Gray eyes watch him steadily. “You were very loud,” Sehun tells him. “You said a lot of things.” 

Tao snorts. “Don’t take anything that I said or did during heat seriously,” he mutters, closing his eyes. “It was just the hormones talking.”

“Oh.” Sehun actually sounds sort of...disappointed? Tao slits his eyes open, wanting to see if the face matches the tone, but Sehun’s expression is inscrutable.

He closes his eyes again, tipping his head back and sighing. “Wait ‘till yours comes. You’ll understand.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Things get mostly back to normal after that.

Cats don’t really hold grudges for long, which means that within a week Tao and Sehun are back to spending the majority of their waking time together. It does feel like one more barrier has been breached between them, though, because they develop a physical comfort level that is more than it was before. Sehun no longer sleeps in Joonmyun’s bed, he sleeps in Tao’s, and the two are always snuggling, and even regularly keeping each other company while they bathe now. 

Tao tells himself very firmly that it’s because he is a social creature, and a cuddler by nature, and Joonmyun was more right than he knew about Tao being lonely. He flat out ignores the tiny, annoying voice in his mind that whispers about how addicting the feel of Sehun’s smooth skin is under his hands, how the younger is still growing taller and firmer and more handsome every day, how his voice is deepening and sometimes Tao catches him watching his housemate with grey eyes darkened. Because that is ridiculous, obviously, and has nothing to do with anything.

This is easy to believe when they are alone in the house, watching TV while snuggled on the couch or chatting through lunch. It’s a little harder when Joonmyun has Yixing over, because Yixing brings his own cat, a gorgeous, sleek little thing named Chen who takes one look at Sehun and starts rubbing up on him like a queen in heat.

There’s no excuse for it, because Tao can smell that Chen is _not_ in heat, and Sehun looks rather overwhelmed and confused by the attention. Tao ends up riding to his rescue, growling lowly under his breath as he pushes himself forcibly between Chen and Sehun. 

“Back off,” he snarls. “Not for you.”

Chen looks between them with amusement in his slanted eyes and his sleek black tail twitching lazily behind his knees. Tao doesn’t like that look, because it looks too much like Chen is saying _oh, I see,_ and no, he does not _see_ , because there is nothing _to_ see, apart from Tao protecting his innocent housemate from a randy tom.

It’s made worse later on, when Sehun is curled up a-snooze in Tao’s bed and Tao is downstairs getting a nice pre-sleep glass of milk, because as he heads back upstairs, he hears Joonmyun talking to Yixing and Chen in his bedroom. _Did you like him, Chen?_ Joonmyun asks. _Because he’s due to go into his first heat soon and I honestly don’t know if I can handle more than one._

_You should have thought of that before buying a second cat,_ Yixing says, amused, and Joonmyun’s long-suffering sigh makes Tao’s heart constrict.

_I had hoped that...but no, that’s apparently out. Anyway, Sehun’s not mated, so if you’d like, Chen, you can see if he’d be interested. Better to arrange it before it’s too late, I think. Tao latched onto me because I was the only one available when his time came, so I don’t think he’s interested in taking a mate. I’d rather not have that happen again._

Tao flees back to his room before he can hear Chen’s response, which he is certain will be enthusiastic. He climbs into bed, and Sehun automatically rolls over and envelops him in limbs, tail curling gently against Tao’s shins. He doesn’t even wake up.

Tao doesn’t fall asleep for a long time that night.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

To Tao’s immense relief, Chen does not choose to court Sehun. He never speaks of what he heard to anyone and wholeheartedly ignores every time he catches Joonmyun glancing at the calendar with a frown on his face.

Sehun has been with them for more than four months when it starts.

Tao knows something is wrong the moment Sehun gets up, because when he walks in the room, sleepy and dishevelled and looking even more hooded-eyed and sultry than usual, Tao cannot, with all of his will, tear his eyes off of the younger cat. He is totally frozen in place, taking in every detail, the way that long brown tail swishes, the way the ears twitch, the way he crinkles his nose as he yawns and scratches at his firm stomach and whines softly under his breath. Sehun is swollen in his sleep shorts, which is not unusual for the morning, but it’s bigger and harder than it should be, too eager, too defined, and the way it draws Tao’s eye like a magnet is not normal.

Tao drags his eyes up to Sehun’s face and sees the younger cat’s eyes are a teeny bit glassy, his pink lips parted softly as he stares at Tao’s mouth. Dread building in his gut, Tao worries unconsciously at his lower lip, and gets a jolt of shock when that little motion makes Sehun moan, his eyes rolling back and his cock visibly jerking.

“Damn,” Tao says helplessly. “Damn damn _damnit_ Sehun, why do you always have to sleep so long?” If he’d woken up at a normal time, Joonmyun would have seen this, would have known to stay home. Now, their master won’t be home for _hours_ , and judging by the way Sehun smells he doesn’t have that long.

“Sorry, hyung,” Sehun murmurs, shifting his weight restlessly. The motion makes his lean thighs push his bulge up and out, and Tao has to carefully set down the glass he is holding to keep from breaking it in the wave of sheer _want_ that washes over him.

“You had better eat,” Tao grits out. “It might be the last time you get a chance to for a while.”

Something in his voice gets Sehun’s attention, and it takes him only a moment to figure out what Tao is hinting at. His eyes go wide.

“Do you think - ” He cuts himself off. “Is...is it time?”

Tao’s feet take a step forward of their own accord, despite his brain screaming to _keep away he’s just a child._ Sehun mirrors him instantly and no, fuck, _no._

“I’m pretty sure it’s time,” Tao says helplessly as Sehun migrates into his arms like gravitation. “Congratulations, kitten, you’re all grown up.” He buries his face in Sehun’s neck and breathes in deep, the way Sehun did to him just a few months previous. Fuck, he smells so fucking amazing right now. Sehun shudders in his arms and Tao tries and fails not to get as hard as the younger already is.

“Help me?” Sehun pleads, long fingers clenching in Tao’s shirt. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I’ll call Master,” Tao breathes. His mouth is too close to Sehun’s ears and the way Sehun trembles makes him groan under his breath. “He’ll come home right away to help you. It’s a good thing Chen never took him up on that offer of courting.”

Sehun pulls away long enough to give Tao a confused look. “What do you mean? Chen did approach me.”

Tao’s blood turns to ice. “ _What?_ ” he asks, horrified.

“Yixing brought him over when you were out shopping with Master,” Sehun explains. His voice is too soft, too breathy, for Tao’s sanity. “He asked me if I’d like to mate with him when my time came.”

Fuck. That changes _everything._ “Then I guess we need to call Yixing,” Tao mutters, pretending the very idea doesn’t make him want to rip the house to shreds. “We’d better get your intended over here quickly.”

“What? No, hyung, I said no.”

Tao freezes, not sure of what he is hearing. 

“I told him I had someone else in mind, because I did. I do, I mean.” Sehun’s grip on him is viselike, now, his cock pulsing with his heartbeat against Tao’s hip. “I don’t want Chen. I love Master, but I don’t want him, either.”

Tao sees where this is going and his mind balks even as his heart leaps. “No. Sehun. This isn’t - we can’t - you’re just a _kid_.”

“Not anymore,” Sehun whispers, and now it’s Tao who shudders uncontrollably. “Please, Tao. You’re so beautiful, I thought so the moment I saw you. I’ve always wanted you.” His hands slide down Tao’s back, cupping his ass; his head tilts so he’s speaking directly into Tao’s ear. “And you called my name when _you_ were in heat, and I know you said it didn’t mean anything, but is that really the truth? Or were you just saying that because of my age?”

Tao makes a distinctly pathetic noise.

“Please hyung,” Sehun says into his neck, and, hey, when did his lips get that close? “Please.” 

He bites down, taking a patch of skin into his teeth firmly, and every last shred of Tao’s tattered willpower abruptly bleeds out of that tiny wound. He takes Sehun’s shoulders in his hands and sweeps his leg behind Sehun’s shins, knocking him off-balance. They topple against the counter, and Tao is _on him_ , hips already working his swollen cock against Sehun’s and kissing him desperately hard.

Sehun makes a long, loud noise of need right into Tao’s mouth, clutching at him and rutting up enthusiastically. Tao gasps his way down Sehun’s neck, muttering curses and praises against his skin as Sehun whispers _thank you thank you thank you_ like a mantra.

It’s the work of a moment to get Sehun’s loose clothes off him, and Tao sweeps the counter clear with one hand and urges Sehun up onto it with the other. The pheromones haven’t even properly set in yet, but Tao feels drunk on lust, assuaging his last little bit of hesitation with the sight of Sehun’s gorgeous and very _adult_ body. There truly isn’t any reason to hesitate any longer, and now that he allows himself to think it, he can admit, at least in the privacy of his own mind, that he’s always wanted this too.

Tao bends his head and sucks Sehun into his mouth. He’s totally merciless, letting instinct and need guide him, fast and tight and wet and sloppy, and Sehun’s first orgasm of the heat explodes down his throat in mere minutes. Tao makes a face - he’s never actually had come in his mouth before, and he suddenly has a new appreciation for all the times Joonmyun has swallowed his - but gulps it down.

Sehun is gasping, the muscles in his arms standing out as he grips the edge of the counter, and staring at him in total shock.

“Eat,” Tao tells him, wiping his mouth with the back of one hand. “Now, quick, before it takes you over completely. Come upstairs when you’re finished.”

He tears himself away, before he loses his will, and races up the stairs to change the sheets to cheap ones and find that new bottle of lube Joonmyun bought.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Tao remembers his first heat. Remembers how frightened he was of his own body, of his own mind; remembers feeling cornered, trapped. Remembers how Joonmyun took care of him, how gentle he was at first, how caring. He knows Sehun is probably terrified and uncertain and resolves to make this as easy as he possibly can for the younger cat, to guide him through it as gently as he can.

That resolve lasts up until Sehun closes the door to the bedroom. He’s naked, tall and thin and strong and completely bare, and he’s _angrily_ hard, and his ears are half-flattened and his tail is twitching in agitation. But that all would be fine if it wasn’t for the _smell_ of him, thick and cloying and intoxicating. Tao had been planning to let Sehun do the approaching, but the moment the door closes he’s on his feet and across the room.

“Fuck,” he chokes out, managing to stop himself before his mouth or his cock can make contact with Sehun’s body - but just barely. “Sorry. I’m sorry. You smell _so good_.”

Long-fingered hands curl around Tao’s upper arms, and a sleek tail curves behind his knees, tugging him forward. “Don’t apologize,” Sehun breathes into his hair. “If it’s anything like how you smelled to me a few months ago, I totally get it.” Tao is still the taller of them, but not by much, and right now Sehun’s filling his senses so completely that he feels totally enveloped in him. “Why are you still wearing clothes?” Sehun whines softly. “Stop wearing clothes, hyung.”

The thump of his heart is painful. “Take them off me,” Tao challenges.

Sehun takes him up on that instantly, yanking his shirt off and pushing Tao backwards even as his shaking fingers fumble for the button of Tao’s jeans. He sinks to his knees as he tugs the jeans down Tao’s legs, not even waiting for Tao to step out of them before he pushes his face right into Tao’s erection.

Tao gasps, Sehun moans, and sleek, fuzzy ears rub against Tao’s cock, softly teasing at his skin. Sehun rolls his entire head against Tao, hair and ears and forehead and nose and lips, and looks up at him with eyes like wells, bottomless. Tao pulses hard against his face, precome smearing on his cheek, and dazedly thinks that he is never going to be able to keep up if Sehun keeps doing shit like that.

“Get on the bed,” he snarls, the animal bleeding through his voice. Sehun grins, and goes, and Tao purposely does not watch him because he needs to calm down at least a _little_. He steps out of his jeans and goes to the nightstand, where Joonmyun’s cock ring sits nestled between Tao’s toys. It’s nothing fancy, a little black ring of rubber, but Tao knows he’s going to need the help.

He slides it on, resisting the urge to touch himself more than he has to, because this is going to be torturous enough without adding to it. Joonmyun’s a little bit smaller than he is, and he hadn’t realized how close he already was until the tight squeeze of the ring pushes him back from the edge. Tao takes a deep breath and turns to face the bed.

Sehun’s spread out on his back with knees upbent, his hands already working himself mindlessly. Tao can see the glassiness in his eyes, the deep red flush in his face, and wonders if that’s what he looks like when he’s in heat. He swallows down the pounding of his heart and gets up onto the bed, standing on his knees next to Sehun’s body.

Blown-out eyes drop down Tao’s torso and land on his cock. Sehun sees the ring, gasps, and comes all over himself.

Tao would be flattered, except that he knows it has little to do with how sexy Sehun finds him and everything to do with the monster clawing at the inside of his mind.

He doesn’t bother trying to wipe away the mess - there’s no point - and instead swings his leg over Sehun’s body so that he is straddling the younger cat’s waist. Sehun looks completely wrecked, panting and shaking, and he’s only two orgasms in. Tao pities him.

“How do you want me?” he asks softly, as Sehun’s eyes attempt to focus on him. “Me inside you, or you inside me?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Sehun moans, which isn’t very helpful but makes Tao smile fondly at him. Judging that Sehun probably isn’t coherent enough at the moment to make the decision, Tao makes it for him.

He opens the lube and coats his own fingers. Reaching behind himself, he finds Sehun’s cock - still impossibly hard despite the fact he _just_ came - and runs his hand down it once, then moves his fingers back to the front of his body and down towards his own entrance. When you’re gripped by heat, it’s easy to forget about the need for lube, and when you literally cannot stop fucking a chafed cock is basically the _worst_ thing.

“Keep going,” he instructs, as he pushes two fingers inside himself. Sehun struggles to lift his head so he can see; Tao moves an extra pillow behind his neck with his clean hand. “Go on.”

Slowly, Sehun does so, the now-slicked sound of his hand on his cock loud behind Tao’s back. Tao arches up to display what his hand is doing, giving Sehun something to look at, something to take his mind off of the burning need. His body is fortunately used to this and opens quickly, and by the time Sehun has come for the third time, warm spurts dripping down Tao’s back, he’s ready.

He changes his angle and sits back on Sehun’s cock before the younger cat is even through the aftershocks of his last orgasm, and Sehun _screams_ , the sound animal and terrible. Tao tucks his body against him and holds him as he trembles and moans. “Shhh,” he soothes. “I’ve got you. I’ve _got_ you.”

Sehun is already sobbing into Tao’s shoulder, gasping for air in between hiccuping breaths, but his first thrust up is powerful and _incredible_ and Tao groans and clutches at him. He’s also bigger than Joonmyun is, splitting Tao open, and it feels too much like puzzle pieces slotting into place.

It’s over quickly, of course it is. Sehun’s rutting goes from exploratory to desperate in mere minutes, and Tao hangs on, purposely keeping himself at the wrong angle so his prostate stays out of it. It still feels too amazing, too _right_ , and Tao is glad for his own foresight or else he’d already be spent and useless.

Sehun fucks him hard, all the way through his fourth orgasm and up to his fifth. He’s already getting wrung out, his limbs shaking violently, so Tao takes over, sitting up and bracing his hands on the younger’s broad chest and working his hips back in sharp strokes. Sehun’s hands grasp weakly at his thighs as he comes for the sixth time in - Tao glances at the clock - less than two hours.

It’s going to be a long heat.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The door opening wakes Tao some indeterminate amount of time later. He lifts his head from Sehun’s chest and looks - it’s Joonmyun, peering inside curiously.

“It smells like a whorehouse in here,” Joonmyun whispers.

Tao wants to laugh, but he doesn’t want to wake Sehun, and he’s too tired anyway. “Sorry,” he mouths back, almost soundless. “It’s Sehun’s time.”

“I figured,” Joon says. His eyes take in the scene. “Thank you for taking care of him. Do you want me to take over?”

Tao’s tired. He’s _exhausted_ actually. He’s come three times today and he’s not even the one in heat. But he looks down at Sehun’s features, finally lax with sleep after hours and hours, and the thought of someone else touching him - even Joonmyun, whom he trusts more than anyone in the world - makes an involuntary snarl crawl up his throat.

He refrains from baring his teeth at his master - the question was meant innocently, after all - and instead shakes his head. “I’ve got it,” he murmurs.

Joonmyun eyes him skeptically, but there’s a smile crawling over his features, oddly smug. Tao suddenly wonders if this wasn’t the plan all along. “Alright,” he says, giving in far too quickly. “I’ll bring you both dinner later.”

He pulls the door closed with that smile drawing wider, almost fond, and Tao narrows his eyes because he does not like being manipulated. But Sehun is stirring underneath him, woken by the noise, and as he wakens Tao can feel it beginning again, the heat in his skin, the rapidness with which he hardens, the way the pheromones begin filling the room and the way Sehun’s eyes zero in on his face the moment they open.

“Hyung,” Sehun moans softly, clutching at him. “You’re not leaving me?”

Fuck. 

Tao is screwed.

“No,” he promises. “Never.”


End file.
